Henry: Cahill's RBNY arrival contingent on medical exam

PHILADELPHIA – Thierry Henry told the media on Tuesday that Everton midfielder Tim Cahill (above) will be a welcome addition to both the New York Red Bulls and Major League Soccer, once his deal is formally announced.

“Talking about Tim Cahill, he’s going to be great," Henry said ahead of the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday. "We’re going to have to wait for him to go through the medical. He’s going to be a great asset for us and also for the league.

“If you saw the guy play the way he plays, I love the commitment and I always loved his commitment," he added. "He’s great in the box, his headers are unbelievable. He fights back to the net and his football IQ is great also. Hopefully that can be a plus for us.”

Everton announced on their club website on Monday that they have agreed to send the 32-year-old Cahill to New York for “a nominal fee,” subject to agreeing to personal terms and passing a medical. Cahill is expected to arrive in the US in the coming days, according to the club.

The Red Bulls, for their part, released a statement later in the day that denied any deal was done, and that they had “no comment at this time regarding him or any other non-New York player."

But that didn’t stop reporters on Tuesday from asking both Henry and Landon Donovan, who played with Cahill during his two loan stints at Everton since 2010, about the pending deal.

“There are a lot of plusses to playing here, and now when the league has made the sort of financial commitments they have made to players it sweetens the pot even more,” Donovan said. “I didn’t speak to Tim about this particularly. I would have preferred to have him in LA but it’s a great opportunity for him and fingers crossed everything works out for him. He always spoke very fondly of our league.”